


Breakfast Food

by mysticalmultifandom



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M, Fluff, this scene makes me Feel Things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25176697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticalmultifandom/pseuds/mysticalmultifandom
Summary: "There's never been a sadness that can't be cured by breakfast food."
Relationships: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	Breakfast Food

**Author's Note:**

> Discussion of mental health/medicine!!  
> I'm still emotionally damaged from this scene.   
> A very fluffy little comfort fic after the angst, smut, cheating, and killing Ben I've been posting.

Leslie walked over to Ben, his arms open and ready to embrace her. She was _already_ crying. She watched Chris and Ann take off for their new life in Michigan. All her friends were standing there silently. The only sound was Leslie sniffling, she held Ben's hand that was still wrapped around her.

"Breakfast, Knope?" Ron asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh, I don't know." She replied, her voice wavering. Ben held her arms, rubbed one hand up her arm so it was placed on her shoulder. He placed a kiss on the side of her head.

"Come on. There's never been a sadness that can't be cured by breakfast food."

"That's fair. Someone else is going to have to drive though, my eyes are basically useless right now."

"I'm on it." Tom piped up. Ben kissed Leslie on the lips, then her forehead. 

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked softly. She shrugged. 

"I'll hold myself together through breakfast," Leslie promised. He nodded, as they walked towards her car, Tom parked in the driver's seat. "Raise your hand if you're getting waffles." She announced, her voice still shaky. Ben chuckled at the chorus of responses. His heart did sink, knowing how desperately she was trying to be herself.

Leslie held herself together all throughout breakfast like she promised Ben. Sure, she lit up when the platter of waffles got put in front of her, but it didn't last very long. In fact, she barely ate them. Almost as soon as she got them, she was picking rather than eating.

"I think we should head out," Ben suggested, Leslie, standing instantly. Their friends wished Leslie well, telling her to feel better. She smiled weakly and nodded. She had leftover waffles in one hand, the other intertwined with Ben's. When they got in the car she looked up at him.

"Thank you." She whispered softly.

"Of course." He replied, taking one hand off the wheel to hold her hand.

Their drive home was silent. Leslie was obviously hurting, _bad_. Ann was her best friend, Ben didn't know how Leslie was going to handle not seeing her. They talked almost every single day, and Leslie _was not_ good with change at all. 

"Les," Ben started once they got in the door. Before he could finish, Leslie was in his arms, _sobbing_. He buried his face in her hair, holding her tightly, rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her. "Shh, it's okay honey. It's okay."

"I-I'm sorry." She choked out.

"Baby," Ben whispered softly. "You don't have to be sorry."

He led her to the couch so she'd sit down, she was basically crumbling to the floor at this point. All Ben wanted was for her to be comfortable, she was spiraling fast. Seeing her so upset tore him apart.

He wiped the tears from her eyes before he pulled her close to him so she was sobbing into his neck. He kissed her head, continued to rub her back as she cried.

"She-She just means so much to me." She sobbed, grabbing fistfuls of Ben's shirt.

"I know." He whispered. Ben kept trying to calm her down, all the things that normally calmed her down wasn't working. Usually, just his touch was enough to bring her down. It was enough every other time she's cried over Ann leaving these past few weeks. This was different, and it hasn't happened in a while. "Okay, baby, I think you're having a panic attack." 

She nodded, now realizing she couldn't catch her breath. Ben grabbed her medicine and water that was in her bag.

"Here." He said softly. She took her medicine, moving closer to Ben's embrace to wait for the medication to kick in. Her sobbing was only adding to the panic attack, and the struggle to breathe.

"She's my best friend," Leslie told Ben as if he didn't know. Her sobs were starting to dissipate, but her breathing still heavy. Ben held her silently. She started to visibly relax more. She felt much less tense in Ben's embrace.

"Honey, it's all going to be okay." He whispered. Ben tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Her hair was damp from falling in her face while she was crying.

"I'm sorry, that was such a stupid reason to have a panic attack." She mumbled, her medicine clearly starting to work. He could tell she was starting to get sleepy.

"It's not stupid baby." He whispered, brushing her cheeks with his thumb. Leslie smiled at him, curling into his chest.

"Thank you, I love you." Was the last thing she said before she fell asleep on his chest. Ben waited a bit, before scooping her up and bringing her to bed.

He slipped her shoes and pants off for her to be a little more comfortable. He got into bed next to her, pulling her close to him again. He was happy Leslie was finally feeling better. Ben picked up his phone, to see a text from Ann.

" _Been trying to call Leslie. She okay?_ "

" _She had a panic attack. Had to take her meds, she cried a lot. Like full on sobbed. But she's sleeping now._ "

" _Poor thing. At least she's resting now. Thank you for taking care of her Ben. Give her cuddles for me_."

Ben smiled as he felt Leslie bring herself closer to him. He put his hand on her back, she sighed contently. It's been a rough day for her. He loved being the person she felt comfortable to cry in front of. He loved being the one who was able to comfort her when she was down.

Even better? He was the one who was capable of making her feel better.


End file.
